In His Presence Is Fullness Of Joy

Philippians 1:20-24

I have read and listened to a few powerful things this week and I wanted to pass them onto you today! This is a powerful letter to this church in Philippi, written by the apostle Paul, most likely imprisoned by Nero in Rome. The meaning of this letter was completely inspired by the Holy Spirit and is most useful to any of its readers.

Let’s read the text and I will read from a quote of Charles Spurgeon.........Philippians 1:20-24.....

Spurgeon: “Good men have felt the power of that feeling. Elijah said, “Let me die: I am no better than my fathers.” Job sighed to be hidden in the grave, and oftentimes under far less afflictions than those which vexed the apostle, good men have said, “Would God this life were at an end, and these miseries over; I am a-weary, I am a-weary; when will death release me?” I see nothing of that feeling in the apostle; he is not restive under the chain; there is not a trace of impatience about him. He admits, and joyfully admits it, that to be with Christ is far better; but upon consideration he sees reasons for his remaining here, and therefore he cheerfully submits to whatever may be the Lord’s will. He does not choose, his mind is so wrapt up with God, and free from self, that he cannot choose. What a blessed state of heart to be in!”

Spurgeon stated this in his sermon entitled “Forever With The Lord”

O, what a state to be in......Paul seemed to be wrapped up in the Lord!........Free from self as Spurgeon said.

He does not choose, just in whatever way he is completely engulfed in the presence of God through Christ!

This is the heart of the message today, is to be so wrapped up in Jesus Christ, which is equal with being wrapped up in His Father, God, that we can live out what Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

In any state, we are instructed to be content......Bro Paul and I was talking about this at the beginning of the week and he said: “That is a mouthful”

It is, to be content in any situation........How can that be?

To be, as Spurgeon most wisely confirmed by reading Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi, wrapped up in with the Lord!

In that status, there is contentment!

This is where God wants us and truly if we take seriously what Jesus said (and we must) then His call to “come after Him” is exactly what Paul is conveying here......

Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

In reality it is the only way to live this wrapped up with God. You cannot secretly hold on to self but outwardly convey that you have.

You can say it but in reality God sees it and that kind of secret life never works! It is miserable!

The apostle Paul had abandoned everything for the glory of God through Christ!

John Piper said this: “God is the one being for whom self-exaltation is the most loving act, because he is exalting for us what alone can satisfy us fully and forever. If we exalt ourselves, we are not loving, because we distract people from the one Person who can make them happy forever, God. But if God exalts himself, he draws attention to the one Person who can make us happy forever, Himself. He is not an egomaniac. He is an infinitely glorious, all-satisfying God, offering us everlasting and supreme joy in himself. God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him. God’s design to pursue his own glory turns out to be love. And our duty to pursue God’s glory turns out to be a quest for joy.”

It seems that the apostle Paul is conveying this to us in Philippians 1........alive or dead in God through Christ is the only place to be

Paul would rather be in Heaven with Jesus which is better, but if his lot is to stay on this earth longer then he will because he is in Christ Jesus!

It is better for those around him if he stays because it will be about Jesus!

“To abide in the flesh is more needful for you”

I think of Mary, Lazarus’ sister, as she was around the feet of Jesus worshipping and her sister Martha is working, busy about with many things, and there her sister is just laying around listening and worshipping Jesus.....

Luke 10:41-42 “And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

It was more needful for Paul to stay on earth, because he preached, taught and lived the life of Christ!

I say lived because of what Paul said in: Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” ........Galatians 6:17 “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

In a world where the lifting up of man is everywhere, God, through His Son, is calling us to abandon ourselves and find the joy in Him!

Though the rejection of our own flesh and the world Paul continued to find joy in following Christ! There is a joy and peace that the world has ever known!

I go back to what John Piper said: “God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.”

Can your satisfaction just be in The Lord and Who is and what He has done? Or do you have to insert yourself there to see the Glory of God?

Let me show a couple of examples that Piper did in his study of this, which I found interesting:

• Oprah walked away from orthodox Christianity when she was about 27 because of the biblical teaching that God is Jealous—He demands that He and no one else get our highest allegiance and affection. It didn’t sound loving to her.

• Brad Pitt turned away from his boyhood faith, he says, because God says, “You have to say that I’m the best …. It seemed to be about ego.”

• C. S. Lewis, before he became a Christian, complained that God’s demand to be praised sounded like “a vain woman who wants compliments.”

• Erik Reece, the writer of An American Gospel, rejected the Jesus of the Gospels because only an egomaniac would demand that we love him more than we love our parents and children.

• And Michael Prowse, the columnist for the London Financial times, turned away because only “tyrants, puffed up with pride, crave adulation.”

Piper answered these claims by these individuals:

• No Oprah, if God were not jealous for all your affections, he would be indifferent to your final misery.

• No Brad Pitt, if God didn’t demand that you see him as the best, he wouldn’t care about your supreme happiness.

• No Mr. Lewis, God is not vain in demanding your praise. This is his highest virtue, and your highest joy.

In which C.S. Lewis went onto write this after finding his highest joy in Jesus Christ: “The most obvious fact about praise—whether of God or any thing—strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise........I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is it’s appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”

• No, Erik Reece, if Jesus didn’t lay claim on greater love than your children do, he be selling your heart to what cannot satisfy forever.

• No, Michael Prowse, God does not crave your adulation, he offers it as your greatest pleasure.

Paul’s comfort in whether to Live is Christ and to Die is Gain, was in the joy, peace, love, and comfort he had found in the truth of Jesus Christ!

It is a message to believe, because the joy, peace, love is not revealed in the flesh.

Sure, there are common graces, but those come and go. They are only given to further advance the Gospel or keep us away from evil....any common graces found in the flesh or on the earth are really given to bring us out of the world!

The same with chastisement!

It is a message to believe because it cannot be seen.......that is how some fall into those examples that Piper gave.....

Believe for what you can see, but our joy in Christ can only come by believing!

When Paul said: “For me to live is Christ”.......that just meant for him more of bearing the marks of the Lord Jesus in his body!

Nothing but physical pain and misery......but he was content with Christ, his greatest joy was knowing Jesus Christ, just read chapter 2!

Turn with me to Psalm 16:1-11..........David wrote this Psalm......

Preserve me, O God..........Keep me for I have come to You for refuge!

We find rest and safety no where else!

I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.”

As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.

Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood or even speak the names of their gods.

LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

Only God’s counsel through Jesus Christ and I am directed by His Word alone, because I cannot see!

The Lord is set before me.....I shall not be moved.....

Because of that my heart is glad and my boasting rejoices in the Lord and my flesh is at rest in the hope that I have in the way of Jesus, the truth of Jesus, and in the life of Jesus.....for without Him I can do nothing!

I will be resurrected as Christ was seen alive after the grave, so will I!

Now, all of this conveys the heart of Paul in Philippians 1, especially verse 11.........because of Paul’s self-denial and his following of Christ, he was imprisoned and had been beaten, hung, stoned, etc.....

He was not in prison because he met on Sunday, or because he violated COVID rules.......he was not in prison because he stole or killed......he was in prison for living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and had the audacity to teach and preach this glorious Gospel!

Yet, he was full of joy because whether he lived it was all about Christ and in His presence.....by the Word of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

And if they killed him it was gain, because to be with Christ is far better!

There are so many things vying/battling for our affections.........the devil is working day and night coming up with schemes to pull our affections away from the truest of Joys the human mind and heart has ever known!

This joy is finished according to Jesus, Do You Believe This!

We must believe, we must repent from our sinful selves and come to Jesus and go with Him to find this joy and peace.....I wonder if you know Him?